AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She sighed. “I’m getting sick and tired of men telling me what to do and how to think. I’m a hundred and forty-five years old.”
Thierry shook his head. “I’m not telling you what to do. You’re the one who called me.”
“I did. I needed to see for myself that the once great and powerful Thierry de Bennicoeur now follows orders from Franklin Bates and his associates. It’s a bit pathetic, really.”
“Hey,” I snarled at her, my anger flaring out of nowhere. “Be careful how you speak to my husband, lady.”
Alicia raised an eyebrow at me. “My apologies. That was rude, and I’m sorry. Mentions of my husband, especially of late, raise my ire.”
“It’s fine,” Thierry said evenly. He hadn’t reacted at all to the insult, his trademark poker face firmly in place. “It’s your life and entirely your decision if you wish to remain here indefinitely.”
“That isn’t my wish. In fact, my business in this town is very nearly at an end, and my future is very bright. But, I’m afraid, it doesn’t contain Franklin.”
At that moment, I felt something in the air—apart from the sticky tension that had just washed through the diner like a wave of rancid maple syrup. A tingling presence, like the night of a storm, just before there’s any rain. Electricity in the air.
This sensation was followed by a ribbon of purple smoke that twisted and snaked through the diner around our table. A cascade of rainbow sparkles blew past me, whipping my hair back from my face. And then, suddenly, we were no longer alone in the diner. A woman strode out of the swirling sparkles and smoke and toward our table, followed by a couple of men wearing hooded robes.
I just stared at her for a moment in stunned silence, and it wasn’t just because of the way she was dressed, which was…well, in a word?
Retro 80s.
Which, I know, is more like two words.
She looked like a Madonna Like-A-Virgin cosplay with dozens of neon-colored rubber bracelets encasing her wrists. Lacy, fingerless gloves adorned her hands. She wore a bright blue sweatshirt that exposed her left shoulder. And, yes, those were definitely hot pink leg warmers to finish the look.
“Thierry de Bennicoeur,” she began. “I wanted to personally welcome you to this town.”
Thierry had risen to his feet, taking her gloved hands in his and kissing her on each of her cheeks, very European-like. “Baba Yaga, it is truly an honor to be in your admirable presence.”
“Don’t make me blush, handsome.” She twisted a finger through her crimped blonde hair.
I continued to take all this in and try to make sense of it. This woman—this Baba-Whatever—had just appeared in a literal puff of smoke. I’d met more than my share of witches, but I’d never witnessed anything as incredible as this before.
“Introductions, please,” she said.
“Of course.” Thierry nodded. “This is my wife, Sarah Dearly. Sarah, this is the Baba Yaga.”
“Sarah,” the witch said, smiling down at me, frozen in my seat. “How lovely to meet you.”
“Ditto,” I squeaked. Then I cleared my throat. “Yes, lovely to meet you too.”
Pretty please don’t curse me,I thought. Thanks so much.
“Congratulations on your recent nuptials,” she said to me. “You have quite the yummy catch here.”
“Thank you.” Thinking of Thierry as a “yummy catch” was kind of hilarious, even though he totally was. The way the witch eyed my husband made me realize that no matter who this Baba Yaga was or how powerful her magic, she definitely had the hots for Thierry.
There really should be a club or something. With t-shirts and a secret handshake.
“And you are?” Baba Yaga turned to Alicia, who watched all of this with a cool and calm expression.
“This is Alicia Bates,” Thierry said. “She is the wife of a very important Ring elder.”
“Franklin Bates’ wife,” the witch replied, her glossy lips thin.
“The one and only,” Alicia said evenly.
“I despise your husband.”
